Con Todo el Mundo

Take the surf versions of Middle Eastern folk tunes ‘Misirlou’ and ‘Hava Nagila’. Blend them with dub, 1960s Iranian pop and 70s Thai funk cassettes. Add the ghostly vocals of rock-steady bassist Laura Lee, the breakbeats of hip-hop drummer DJ Johnson and the exquisite spirals of reverb and delay from Mark Speer's Stratocaster guitar. You now have Khruangbin's distinctive and seductive sound.

The trio started in 2010 with Asian pop influences and a Thai name (which translates as ‘Airplane’) – a group somewhat akin to LA Khmer pop band Dengue Fever. Recorded in a dirt-floored barn in rural Texas, Khruangbin's second release broadens their palette, adding guests on pedal steel guitar, organ and percussion from around the world. The influences are more global – they’ve covered tunes by Thailand's Tuen-Jai Boonpraraksa and Japan's Yellow Magic Orchestra as well as Ennio Morricone. There's a zouk flavour to the irresistible ‘Evan Finds the Third Room’ and a Persian tinge to the propulsive single ‘Maria También’. Wide-ranging influences don’t ensure great art, of course. So what do the trio bring of their own? Strong melodic songwriting and an ineffable, original voice. I’m already looking forward to Khruangbin's next flight.